Tom Hanks slammed over ‘disgusting’ portrayal of Trump supporter

Tom Hanks’ depiction of a Donald Trump supporter for Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary has outraged MAGA supporters, with many accusing the star of being “tone deaf” and “dumb”.

America’s sweetheart Tom Hanks was slammed by conservatives over his “disgusting” portrayal of a simple, Trump-supporting racist on the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special.

The two-time Academy Award winner returned to the stage as “Doug” — a dumb, MAGA hat-wearing contestant on the recurring bit Black Jeopardy, where the butt of the joke is Hanks’ character and the black contestants discovering their similarities.

Tom Hanks has been slammed over his "disgusting" depiction of a MAGA supporter on Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special. Picture: NBC

During the sketch, Doug, who first appeared on the comedy show in 2016, refuses to shake hands with the game show host, Darnell Hayes, played by current SNL star, Kenan Thompson.

“Don’t like that, whoa, whoa, whoa,” Doug blurts, before eventually shaking Hayes’ hand.

“Maybe I’ll start a show for you to come on and we’ll call it ‘White Jeopardy,’” Doug later says.

Tom Hanks played MAGA-loving “racist”, Doug. Picture: NBC

Conservatives labelled Tom Hanks’ performance as “dumb” and “propaganda”. Picture: NBC

The skit outraged Trump supporters, who quickly bashed it as a “tired” and “disgusting” trope.

“This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter,” former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aide Link Lauren posted on X.

“Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites.”

MAGA is big mad at Tom Hanks for playing a racist Trump supporter on SNL.

"If more folks went to church, we wouldn't be in this mess we're in now" was spot on!

🍿 pic.twitter.com/rbnop1NKCq

— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) February 17, 2025

Conservative commentator Benny Johnson raged that the show’s writers “have learned nothing.

“SNL decided it was a good idea to depict Tom Hanks as a ‘Racist Trump Supporter’ in a MAGA Hat afraid to shake a black man’s hand,” he wrote.

“Donald Trump just won a landslide election and has never been more popular with Americans,” he added.

Popular conservative social media account Libs of TikTok labelled it “propaganda” and lambasted it as “dumb.”

Tom Hanks with wife Rita Wilson at the Saturday Night Live special in New York. Picture: Getty Images

The three-and-a-half-hour special was chock-full of jabs at the sitting president and his policies.

During the opening monologue, Only Murders in the Building star Steve Martin joked that he’d just been on a boat in the “Gulf of Steve Martin” — a dig at Mr Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”

Canadian comic and one of Martin’s friend and Only Murders in the Building co-star, Martin Short, then joined him on stage, with Martin ribbing him about his immigration status.

“Do you have your passport on you? ICE, get him!” Martin yelled as actors in ICE uniforms yanked Short off the stage.

“No! I’ll name names! Mike Myers! Jim Carrey!” Short yelled, naming fellow Canadians as he was hauled away.

Originally published as Tom Hanks slammed over ‘disgusting’ portrayal of Trump supporter